Nutrition Spotlight: NO PROCESSED FOODS

I spent most of my childhood running around, being active in all sorts of ways.

To be clear, I’m not a nutritionist. The views I am about to share with you are what I believe to be true from my own research, education and experience.

There are 7 Nutritional Pillars that I live by.

Over the next 7 weeks leading up to SPRING(!!!)

I will talk about each pillar individually. I believe if you live by these pillars, you will not only have the body you are working for (and YES you need to work for that body!) but you will also feel better and live a longer, healthier life.

PILLAR #1: SAY NO TO PROCESSED FOODS!

Eat whole foods that come from nature, not labs. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn’t be eating them. If it doesn’t come from the ground or have a mother, don’t eat it. Processed foods are making us fat and SICK. Walk into any major grocery store and 80% of it is processed foods. I know, it's REALLY HARD to make good decisions.

To help nudge you in the right direction, here's 3 facts about processed foods:

1. Processed foods are “hyper rewarding” and lead to overconsumption

Our body craves foods that are sweet, salty and fatty. Why? Because our amazing body KNOWS that these foods contain the energy and nutrients that we need to survive. We are equipped with one amazing machine. Guess what? Food manufactures know this better than anyone. And their game is tiiiiiiight. These guys make sure their foods are like little evil ninjas that hijack your tastebuds…and make them BEG for more. Millions of dollars go into making this happen and ultimately, millions of dollars go into making us fat and sick.

The truth is, the food industry has become so good at creating foods that our bodes crave, that our brains overrule our body’s regulatory mechanisms. We obsess over these foods and MUST HAVE THEM. UNDERSTAND THIS AND REFUSE TO FALL PREY TO THE TRAP!

2. Processed foods lack nutrients

Processed foods are extremely low in essential nutrients compared to whole, unprocessed foods. Real foods, like plants and animals, contain thousands of other trace nutrients that your body needs. This is a perfect example of where all calories are not created equal. I’ll get more into this in the weeks to come, but a 100 calorie Twinkie provides NOTHING while a 100 calories slice of turkey contains valuable nutrients.

3. Processed foods are high in sugar and fructose corn syrup (the modern day devil)

We all know that sugar, when consumed in excess, is seriously harmful. Let’s talk a little bit about “empty” calories – by definition this means that a food has no essential nutrients but a large amount of energy. Empty calories are just the beginning when it comes to how heinous sugar is. It literally makes us sick. It wreaks havoc on our bodies and can devastate our metabolism. What we put in our bodies will make us healthier or sicker. Period.

Consider this every single time you choose what fuel you put into your body!